Joanne Hynes: The modern muse bringing haute couture to Dunnes Stores

Joanne Hynes has done the unthinkable: given high street shoppers with a couture state of mind a space to play in. Esther N McCarthy sits down with one of her heroes

Joanne Hynes: entertained some Esther N. McCarthy fangirling during the writing of this piece. Picture: Emily Quinn

They say not all heroes wear capes. This is true. Some heroes design them. It’s fair to say designer, maverick, artist, innovator, creative Joanne Hynes is a hero to me. Her superpower is creating clothes that I, and other women lucky enough to own her pieces, feel fantastic in. 

I don’t say that with frivolity or facetiousness. This woman has magic running through her veins that she somehow distils into tangible confidence. Her work matters to me. She is an icon, a queen, a visionary. And now, flying in the face of that other adage — never meet your heroes — I get to interview her in her studio in Dunnes Dublin headquarters..

This is a big deal, y’all.

I know exactly what I’m going to wear — my first Joanne Hynes buy, and my most recent. The former is a reversible A-line cape, one side with striking stripes with a giant Muse Lady motif, with a padded sports cloth collar that flips over to a navy check pattern that’s so goddamn perfect, it made me well up when I first tried it on; and the latter, a rib-knit jacquard dress from her latest drop, perfect stretch, colourful, cool, with a mandarin neckline, patch pockets that actually function and a funky neon orange two-way zip. 

It’s my dream dress, it’s got a kick flare hem, comfortable enough to wear for the train journey and paired with snazzy socks and ankle boots, casual enough not to look inappropriate for a pre-noon meeting.

I’m taken upstairs to Joanne’s studio space and as the lift doors part, I’m assaulted by a feast of fashion. There are rails of sartorial glory everywhere I look, a giant padded rabbit leans against a display of tufted mirrors and equestrian-themed cushions, there’s sequins and jewels and tigers — oh my!

Then, Joanne herself drifts into view, a vision of glowy skin and blonde tresses and sparkly eyes. And this maven of marvellousness, this seer of truth, this vision of perfection ... she’s wearing the same dress as I.

All my mantras and stern talks to self about being chill and louche flitter into the ether. Instead of saying “Hello” like a normal human, like I’d practised in front of the mirror, my mouth opens and “WAAHHH! We’re wearing the same dress!!! OhsweetmotherofogodcanyouBELIEVEit, isn’t this AMAZING!” tumbles out.

Joanne Hynes in her studio at Dunnes' HQ. Picture: Emily Quinn

She looks slightly taken aback, but smiles benignly. Operation Make JH BFF is not off to a good start. I guess for the lady that designs clothes that people purchase and wear, it is not the earth-shattering sign that the universe wants us to be besties that I interpreted it to be. The very reason I’m here is to talk to her about her collection for Dunnes Stores that should be landing right around the time you’re reading this.

Hynes’ collaboration with the Irish retailer started in 2016, following the likes of Lennon Courtney and Carolyn Donnelly and it has been a marriage made in fashion heaven. If such a place exists, the angels wear Joanne’s embellished collars and God herself tops off her Outfit of the Day with a JH headband. Hey, if it’s good enough for Lady Gaga...

So I compose myself and get out my notebook and start recording. Quick confession — I’m not a real fashion writer, so I did what any self-respecting chancer would do, I asked the experts. I got on to Irish Examiner fashion writers Annmarie O’Sullivan and Paula Burns to give me a couple of questions in case I got starstruck and just sat there staring at her gormlessly.

As I look down at my own notes, I’m so glad I did. Instead of: “What’s it like being a miraculous mermaid?”; “Can I wear your skin”; and “Are you currently in the market for a muse?” I kick off by asking her about her process of styling the pieces for the photoshoots.

One of my favourite things to do is to just sit and scroll through her lookbooks on the Dunnes website. They are — it’s not often I have the nerve to use this word, but I feel I can pull it off here — pulchritudinous. That’s right, I said it. And, as Keats said: “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”.

“I’m very hands-on,” Joanne says, in a voice spun from sugary gold. “Selecting the earrings, the shoes — that’s another dialogue for me. I’ll look at that dress” — she points to a pinafore of perfection with clashing chevron patterns — “and I’ll say: ‘what is she asking me for, who is she?’

“Pieces speak to me and it depends, if you put matt textures together, you might want a hit of shine. It’s a balance depending on where I’m going with it. If it’s looking soft, I’ll harden it, it’s a non-verbal thing when I’m working on it, surprising her, but not too much.”

“This her — do you have a woman in mind when you’re designing?” I ask, adding out of the side of my mouth, “is she slightly psychotic, overweight, with three caesarean scars and excellent posture for someone with a frankly ridiculous-sized bosom?”

She pretends not to hear. “I definitely have different women in my head, there was another woman before I started designing the collections for Dunnes, she was more stubborn, a fantasy woman, it was a more linear approach. Now, it’s broader, I feel like I’m meeting her more head-on, and I love that idea. I started to connect with the women, I could feel there was a need there and a want.

“Now it’s about the garment, not the collection, that was a difficult process for me to get to that point, I feel the collection and the woman are floating, they’re interconnecting in lots of different ways,” she says thoughtfully.

We both look at the dress again. “I think this is the perfect shape. This works on its own or in a dialogue with other things. And I love that girl who I designed this for. She’s irreverent but traditional, she’s classic but there’s more to her than meets the eye. It’s not a verbal thing, but I know when I get it right.

“I’d wear it with a blouse — because you shouldn’t!’’ she laughs. “And because I love layering, maybe put the trousers underneath for more of a suit look. It’s got a regal feel, like a uniform, I really love that idea,” she declares, delighted, lighting up like a thousand benevolent suns.

We chat some more about the new collection, about the concept of cost per wear, sustainability, the beauty of having clothes that last, and if there was ever any way I could have loved her more, it was when she told me not to be washing my clothes too much. “Be practical, wash them when they need to be washed.”

Thy will be done, my queen. I almost curtsy.

Esther McCarthy and Joanne Hynes in Dublin. Picture: Emily Quinn

“I’m not for everyone,” says Joanne, like the sage goddess that she is. “I’m not designing for everybody, it’s not humanly possible. I feel people will be able to understand certain garments that will resonate with them and that’s great, I’m at peace with that. When I’m long gone, I’d love for someone to pull out a skirt and say do you remember her? She was really hot in 2022!”

Spoken like a true hero, the one, the only, the unforgettable Joanne Hynes.

• Joanne Hynes is a Limited Edition crafted range exclusively for Dunnes Stores. You can shop online at www.dunnesstores.com or in store at Stephen’s Green.